Praedicator

Verba

You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.

On Christmas Day, yesterday, during Mass at a Catholic church in Baghdad, Iraq, a car bomb exploded killing at least 14 people! Jesus' words in today's gospel scripture are still being fulfilled. The Gospel of Matthew recalled them because that community was having the same experience. The celebration of the martyrdom of St. Stephen does not seem so strange in this season when we realize that the celebration of the birth of Christ resulted in bloodshed by Herod when the Magi came looking for the "newborn king of the Jews!"

It is not easy to heed the constant words of the Lord and the angels, "Do not be afraid!" when life and limb are threatened by guns, bombs, drones and rockets! We who are blessed with relative peace and freedom from sectarian violence come no closer to it than headlines on the news! Yet, the loss of even one person to violence, especially violence caused by religious motivations, is a tragedy. We are joined with those martyrs as members of the Body of Christ!

The Christmas decorations may come down and the "nativity scene" will be packed away with them. I wonder if that scene might be left in place to remind us of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East and elsewhere whose faith endures in times of trial. Pray for peace and an end to violence! AMEN